My Dad Was Always Horsing Around

My dad's name was Wilbur but everyone called him Barney.* Oh, and Dad loved horses.

Dad's been gone five years now, but up till the last few months of his life, my dad was always horsing around. Dad loved horses from the get go.

My nephew Jeff shoes horses; he's a farrier, to you fancy types. And Dad loved to go with Jeff to gab and see the horses. Dad pronounced them "hosses" more times than not. And I'm pretty sure he preferred most hosses to most people.

This photo of Dad and my daughter was taken a long time ago. Dad called my offspring the Colorado kids. Since we lived in the Denver metro area, they were city slickers. Just look at her. Sandals. On a horse.

Photo from our family album.

* Except his two sisters, who called him Wilbur.

And Sing and Crack Jokes and Had a Phrase for All Occasions

There's more than one way to horse around, and Dad was pretty good at all of them.

He whistled in tune like nobody's business.

He sang old tunes in a girly falsetto voice.

He told jokes and had perfect timing.*

He'd check the temperature on the north side and the south side of the house. Then he'd call one of my sisters or brothers who lived close to see what their temperature was.

Dad had very colorful language. He was known to say a cuss word or two (ha, that's an understatement!). Here are just a few of Dad's phrases:

~ Much obliged. (thank you)

~ So, how are all of your folks?

~ Yellow! (when answering the phone... hello)

~ It sounds just like ya. (In reply to when I called him on the phone and said, This is Peg.)

~ She told the boar who ate the cabbage. (If someone was on top of things and knew what was going on.)

~ I'm so mad I could eat beef steak. (needs no explanation, does it?)

~ Son of a biscuit eater! (when he was watching his tongue)

~ Son of a bit my finger off at the second joint!

Photo from our family album.

*To read one of Dad's favorite jokes, scroll down on this article to the I'm So Happy I Could Pop heading.

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